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10,000 differently-abled to take out a rally to Secretariat

CHENNAI: About 10,000 disabled persons from across the State would take part in a rally on August 19 to stress on the 11-point charter of demands for the welfare of differently-abled people.

The rally would begin from Munroe statue in Anna Salai and culminate at the Secretariat. It would be jointly organised by Tamil Nadu Handicapped Federation Charitable Trust and Confederation of Indian Organisation for Service and Advocacy.

K.Pandia Rajan, the Trust’s patron and managing director of Ma Foi Global and Ranstad India, said about 300 jobs must be provided to disabled people in every district. The State Government must also ensure employment of disabled persons in private sector particularly in the wake of mushrooming multi-national companies.

The State Government must implement the announcements made earlier. Besides providing concessional fare in the buses to all physically disabled persons, educational assistance must also be provided. The existing monthly assistance of Rs.400 to the physically disabled persons must be doubled, he said. Entrepreneurs with disability must be provided with bank loans. At present, only a few persons were given loans, he added.

Some of the other demands include vocational training with hostel facility in all districts and recognition of achievers in Paralympics, a sports event for physically challenged persons.

The trust’s president G.Chidambaranathan said that the participants of rally propose to meet the Chief Minister to represent their demands on August 19.